The cafeteria was dead silent.
Seeing this, the fear sank deep into everyone's bones.
No matter how disgusting the food was, they could only grit their teeth and swallow it. No one wanted to become the next dish.
Their instinct to survive overpowered everything else. They all clamped their hands over their mouths, and no matter how violently their stomachs churned, they didn't dare throw up a single bit.
Chu He leisurely picked up a Braised Lion's Head.
Its outer skin had been fried to a golden crisp, then simmered until glossy in a rich sauce. It gave off an overpowering aroma of meat and savory sauce.
He had to admit, Xia Yao's great-uncle looked as rough as a butcher, but he was definitely skilled.
The dish captured the very essence of Dragon Country's Huaiyang Cuisine: fried first, then braised, with the heat controlled to perfection.
He put a small piece of meat into his mouth.
The crispy skin's fragrance burst across his tongue. Then the filling melted in his mouth, so tender he barely needed to chew.
The perfectly balanced sweet-and-salty sauce mingled with the pure savoriness of the meat, setting his taste buds ablaze.
What surprised him even more was that, as the warm minced meat slid into his stomach, a wave of pure warmth quickly spread through his limbs and body.
The soreness in his lower back and aching muscles from last night's battle vanished at a visible speed beneath the wash of that warmth.
It was as if he'd soaked in a hot spring. Every cell in his body was cheering, while a transformation was taking place below the waist.
Chu He, a scrawny college student who hadn't had a single muscle before, was now covered in muscles.
The Compendium of Materia Medica hadn't lied to him. Lion meat really was a powerful tonic!
Chu He was secretly amazed. This might not be the kind of lion he had in mind, but as long as the effects were this good, who cared?
He ate with great satisfaction, even finding the time to look up and give the hulking giant behind the serving window an approving smile.
The giant chef behind the window had kept his pitch-black eyes fixed firmly on Chu He the entire time.
When he saw the approving smile on Chu He's face, he didn't look relieved in the slightest. Instead, the muscles in his face tensed even more, and the giant bone cleaver in his hand creaked as he gripped it.
This kid... it's not just that he's lucky.
He's far too calm. And his reaction after eating that "lion's head" was far too natural.
He actually absorbed that energy perfectly?
No ordinary human could do that!
Chu He leaned toward Xia Yao and murmured, "Your great-uncle doesn't seem to like me much."
Xia Yao squeezed his hand and quietly reassured him, "Don't be afraid. I'm here. He wouldn't dare do anything to you."
She paused, then added with a hint of pride, "He spoils me a lot!"
The torturous lunchtime test finally ended, with most people having finished their food.
When Xia Yao's great-uncle decided enough time had passed, he waved a hand, signaling that they could leave.
At his command, nearly half the players clamped their hands over their mouths, turned green, and bolted from the cafeteria like mad, heading straight for the dorms.
It wasn't hard to guess what they were in such a hurry to do.
Chu He and Xia Yao had just stood up to leave when her great-uncle called out to them in a voice like a great bell.
"Wait."
The giant came over carrying a steaming platter. On it was some kind of liver, seared crisp on the outside and tender within, its aroma wafting through the air.
"Yao Yao, I specially prepared some premium Demon Lion Liver for you." Her great-uncle's face broke into a kind smile, completely different from the one he'd worn earlier, though there was something stiff about it. "That Braised Lion's Head was meant for you too, but I didn't expect..."
He changed tack, his pitch-black eyes scraping over Chu He like knives.
"...this kid would pick it."
"I have a few things to discuss with him. Stay here and eat, all right?"
Xia Yao immediately grew wary. She stepped forward and shielded Chu He completely behind her.
"What are you trying to do?" Her voice turned cold. "What can't you say in front of me?"
Her great-uncle looked at his niece standing protectively in front of Chu He, and even his towering frame went rigid for a moment. His heart sank.
It hadn't even been two days! And already she was turning against him for someone else?
He felt like a clown. He'd doted on her for all these years for nothing!
He took a deep breath and drew Xia Yao aside.
The giant blinked.
A gray barrier instantly enveloped the two of them, cutting off the outside sounds and dashing Chu He's hopes of eavesdropping.
Her great-uncle leaned forward, his mountain-like frame looming over her, and lowered his voice.
"Yao Yao, are you really going to choose him? A human?"
His gaze was as sharp as a knife as he stared into Xia Yao's eyes.
"I've seen what he can do. He's got some tricks. Those eyes are clearly the power of my clan's bloodline. Do you know how he got them?"
Xia Yao's expression didn't change as she answered honestly, "Yesterday afternoon, he kissed me in front of everyone."
"What?!" Her great-uncle's voice shot up, nearly shattering the surrounding barrier. "That kid dared to... You didn't crush him on the spot?"
Xia Yao shook her head, her tone still calm. "He's not an ordinary human. He broke my rules, so I was going to kill him. But when he came within three meters of me, I saw him purse his lips, and I couldn't help myself either... Then an irresistible force pushed us together, and we kissed."
"Something like that actually happened?"
The muscles in her great-uncle's face twitched violently.
If anyone else had told him this, he wouldn't have believed a single word.
But Xia Yao was the one telling him.
The girl had always been overbearing, and her mind was as simple as a blank sheet of paper. She was the very definition of blunt, saying whatever came to mind and never knowing how to lie.
Her great-uncle forced down the tumult in his heart and asked with concern, "After he kissed you, did you feel uncomfortable? For example... did he take some of your power?"
Xia Yao considered it, then shook her head. "No. I feel the same as always."
At that, her great-uncle looked toward Chu He, who was pretending to study the patterns on the table. His expression grew impossibly complicated.
Interesting.
Very interesting!
There's actually a human like this!
Xia Yao noticed her great-uncle eyeing Chu He with that scrutinizing gaze again. Her brows immediately furrowed, and her voice turned cold.
"He belongs to me now."
She stepped forward, squarely blocking her great-uncle's view, and declared firmly, "I've already slept with him."
"If you dare touch him, I'll take you down with me!"
"No, no, I was just a little curious about him..."
Her great-uncle instinctively tried to placate her, but halfway through his sentence, he abruptly froze. His pitch-black eyes widened!
He finally realized what he'd just heard!
"Y-You said what?"
His voice, the very one that could make all the ghosts submit, was trembling now.
"You... you and him... slept together?!"
He practically roared the last three words!
The barrier meant to block out sound shattered under that earth-shaking roar!
The whole cafeteria—and even the Multi-armed Monsters in the kitchen preparing ingredients—came to a sudden halt!
Chu He: "..."
Chu He felt a terrifying pressure, almost tangible, crash down on him! A shudder rose from the depths of his soul, as if the entire sky had collapsed and was about to crush him to dust! His bones groaned, his breath stopped, and the shadow of death had never felt so clear!
Yet this power, enough to kill him in an instant, lasted less than half a second before receding like a tide.
He gasped for breath, still shaken, and looked toward Xia Yao. Somehow, she had already stepped in front of him. Her petite frame now stood like an impassable barrier.
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